An icon, in the context of computer technologies, is an image or picture, usually small in size, that represents a specific object, function, or program. Icons are prevalent in window-based computer operating systems and graphical user interface (GUI) based computer programs. A GUI is a user interface for a computer program that takes advantage of the computer's graphics capabilities to make the program easier to use.
For example, there is a picture of a trash bin on the background screen, or the desktop, of almost all versions of the Microsoft Windows, where the deleted files are temporarily stored until they are permanently removed from the computer system. This picture of a trash bin is an icon. When a user activates this icon, usually by moving the cursor on top of the icon and double clicking it, a window pops up, listing the deleted files as well as giving the user several options as to what to do with the deleted files. The user may choose to restore or undelete a specific file, or to alternatively permanently remove a file from the computer system.
A computer program may be represented within an operating system by an icon. When such a program icon is activated, usually by moving the cursor on top of the icon and double clicking it, the computer program the icon represents begins to execute or run.
Icons are used within GUI-based computer programs as well. For example, many computer programs use a picture of a printer to represent a “print” function. Typically, when the print icon is activated, the document, web page, or image the program is presently displaying is sent to a printer to be printed. Optionally, a window may pop up, permitting the user to specific parameters for the print function, such as which printer to use, the orientation of the paper, or which pages and how many copies to print.